National Blog

Republicans Turn on Intervention

Neoconservatives would have us believe that all good God-fearing Americans want to kill a few foreigners--or at least invade a few foreign countries. But it turns out that even Republican voters are backing away from the promiscuous war-making of the Bush administration. Roughly half now oppose interventionism.

Nearly half of all Republican primary voters say it’s time the U.S. stops intervening in world affairs and focuses on domestic priorities instead, signaling a persistent rift that is playing out in the party’s presidential nomination battle.

In the latest poll from The Washington Times and JZ Analytics, 48 percent said the U.S. should maintain a policy of intervening where its interests are challenged. But 46 percent disagree, saying the country is “in a new global era” where it can no longer take such an active role.

If the Republican Party wants to be the party of small government, then it needs to actually support small government, including in foreign policy.